Heirloom

Aalsmeer King Size Mix

Viola x wittrockiana

Photo: Noumenon · Wikimedia Commons · (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Cheerful, 2 1/2-3 1/2" bicolor blooms in shades of gold, purple, plum, lavender, rose, and white. Mildly fragrant blooms. We found Aalsmeer King Size Mix to be one of the fastest varieties to reach a height tall enough for cutting in our overwintered trials. In our unheated tunnel (Zone 5), it yielded 16-22" long stems that are perfect for mixing with tulips and daffodils in early spring bouquets. Also known as pansy, Johnny jump-up, European field pansy, heart's ease, and hybrid violet.Edible Flowers: Decorative and edible garnish for salads and desserts with slight wintergreen flavor. While a popular choice for brightening up salad mix, the flowers are also good for candying.

Harvest

70-80d

Days to harvest

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Sun

Full sun to partial shade

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Zones

1–10

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

6–10 inches (rosette form), stems 16–22 inches when mature for cutting

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Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Showing dates for Aalsmeer King Size Mix in USDA Zone 7

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Zone Map

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Aalsmeer King Size Mix · Zones 1–10

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing12–18 inches

SoilWell-draining loam enriched with compost, slightly cool-season preference

WaterRegular, consistent moisture; avoid waterlogging

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorSubtle wintergreen flavor with mild sweetness and faint spicy undertone

ColorBicolor (gold, purple, plum, lavender, rose, and white)

Size2 1/2-3 1/2"

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 1	May – June	July – August	July – September	—
Zone 2	April – May	June – July	June – August	—
Zone 11	January – January	January – February	January – March	—
Zone 12	January – January	January – February	January – March	—
Zone 13	January – January	January – February	January – March	—
Zone 3	April – May	June – July	June – August	—
Zone 4	March – April	June – June	June – July	—
Zone 5	March – April	May – June	May – July	—
Zone 6	March – April	May – June	May – July	—
Zone 7	February – March	April – May	April – June	—
Zone 8	February – March	April – May	April – June	—
Zone 9	January – February	March – April	March – May	—
Zone 10	January – January	February – March	February – April	—

Succession Planting

Aalsmeer King Size Mix performs best as a cool-to-warm season cut flower in zone 7. Start seeds indoors under lights in February or early March — germination takes 7–14 days at soil temperatures around 65–70°F. Transplant out in April once nighttime lows are reliably above 40°F, and make a second sowing in late May or early June for a fall flush. Direct sowing works, but indoor starts give you a meaningful head start on stem length, and these violas push 16–22 inch stems at maturity — that extra inch or two matters in a vase.

Stop succession sowing once daytime highs are consistently above 85°F. Violas don't die outright in summer heat, but stem length and flower count drop off sharply and the plants get leggy fast. Deadhead or cut every 3–5 days at peak bloom; a plant left to set seed shuts down production quickly, and you'll lose weeks of viable cutting time before you notice.

Complete Growing Guide

Light: Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day), Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt). Soil pH: Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Wet. Spacing: Less than 12 inches. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Low. Propagation: Division, Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Aalsmeer King Size Mix reaches harvest at 70 - 80 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 2 1/2-3 1/2" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

During the summer cleistogamous flower buds that never open but that produce fertile seeds. Fruit capsules split open by way of three valves. The seeds are often transported by ants.

Color: Brown/Copper. Type: Capsule.

Harvest time: Summer

Edibility: Violet leaves are high in Vitamin C and can be used in salads or cooked. The flowers can be made into candies or jellies.

Storage & Preservation

Fresh cut stems last 7–10 days in a cool room (65–70°F) with clean water changed every 2–3 days. For culinary use, refrigerate fresh petals in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days.

For candying, brush petals with egg white, dust with fine sugar, and dry on parchment paper at room temperature for 2–3 days until crisp; store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. For drying whole flowers, hang bundles upside down in a warm, dark, well-ventilated space (65–75°F) for 7–10 days, then store in airtight containers away from light. Frozen petals lose texture and are unsuitable for most uses. Candied pansies are the preferred preservation method, offering both visual appeal and shelf stability for decorating cakes and desserts.

History & Origin

Aalsmeer King Size Mix is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: The genus is worldwide.

Advantages

+Fast-growing variety reaches cutting height quicker than most pansy types
+Large 2.5-3.5 inch bicolor blooms provide excellent visual impact in arrangements
+Produces exceptionally long 16-22 inch stems ideal for spring bouquet mixing
+Edible flowers offer dual purpose for culinary garnishes and desserts
+Mildly fragrant blooms add subtle fragrance to cut flower arrangements

Considerations

-Bicolor patterns may fade or blur in intense heat or direct sun
-Requires consistent moisture; prone to wilting during dry spells without irrigation
-Blooms decline significantly once temperatures consistently exceed 75°F in summer

Companion Plants

Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are the most practical companion here — their root secretions deter soil nematodes, and they draw in hoverflies that knock back aphid populations. Since Aalsmeer King Size Mix violas are already aphid-prone, planting French marigolds within 12–18 inches is a low-effort insurance policy. Sweet Alyssum is worth tucking in at the edges: it flowers constantly, draws parasitic wasps, and tops out around 4–6 inches so it won't compete for light. Nasturtiums pull double duty — they act as a decoy crop, pulling aphids away from the violas, and the two look good together in a cutting arrangement, which matters when you're packing a CSA box and want stem variety.

Dill is listed as beneficial, and that's fair — it attracts predatory insects — but position it carefully. Dill hits 36 or more inches fast, and violas need 4–6 hours of direct sun; plant dill upwind of the prevailing shade and you'll undercut your own cut-flower production without realizing why.

The three to avoid are straightforward. Black walnut produces juglone, a root exudate toxic to a wide range of ornamentals — keep violas at least 50–60 feet from the canopy drip line, per NC State Extension guidance. Eucalyptus has a similar allelopathic effect through decomposing leaf litter. Fennel is antagonistic to most things you'd want to grow and should live in its own isolated corner; in our zone 7 Georgia gardens, it self-seeds so aggressively that containment is already a reason to keep it away from production beds.

Plant Together

Marigolds

Repel nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects

Sweet Alyssum

Attracts hover flies and parasitic wasps that control pests

Nasturtiums

Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles

Petunias

Repel aphids, tomato hornworms, and squash bugs

Cosmos

Attract beneficial pollinators and predatory insects

Zinnias

Attract ladybugs and other beneficial predators

Lavender

Repels moths, fleas, and mosquitoes while attracting pollinators

Dill

Attracts beneficial wasps and predatory insects

Keep Apart

Black Walnut

Produces juglone which is toxic to many flowering plants

Eucalyptus

Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth of nearby plants

Fennel

Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Aphids, spider mites, slugs

Diseases

Powdery mildew, leaf spot, root rot in waterlogged soil

Troubleshooting Aalsmeer King Size Mix

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Sticky, distorted new growth and curled leaves, often with a shiny residue on stems or nearby surfaces

Likely Causes

Aphid colonies (commonly Myzus persicae or Aphis gossypii) clustering on tender growing tips
Soft new growth encouraged by excess nitrogen — overfeeding makes the plant a magnet

What to Do

1.Knock aphids off with a hard spray of water from a hose; repeat every 2–3 days for a week
2.If the infestation is heavy, apply insecticidal soap directly to colonies — coat the undersides of leaves
3.Hold off on any nitrogen-heavy fertilizer until populations come down

White powdery coating on upper leaf surfaces, starting on older leaves and spreading fast in humid weather

Likely Causes

Powdery mildew (Golovinomyces orontii) — common in late spring and fall when nights cool down but days stay warm
Poor airflow from crowded spacing or overhead watering late in the day

What to Do

1.Remove and trash (don't compost) the most affected leaves immediately
2.Spray remaining foliage with a diluted potassium bicarbonate solution or neem oil — do it in the evening to avoid leaf scorch
3.Space plants at least 12 inches apart and water at the base, not overhead

Irregular, ragged holes chewed in petals and lower leaves overnight, with silvery slime trails on soil or nearby mulch

Likely Causes

Slugs (Deroceras reticulatum most likely) — they feed at night and hide under mulch or debris during the day
Overly moist soil surface, especially after stretches of rain

What to Do

1.Set out beer traps at soil level — check and empty them every morning
2.Scatter diatomaceous earth around the base of plants and reapply after rain
3.Pull mulch back 3–4 inches from the crown of each plant to deny slugs their daytime cover

Wilting despite moist soil, yellowing from the base up, with dark or mushy roots when you pull the plant

Likely Causes

Root rot from Pythium or Phytophthora — both thrive when soil stays waterlogged for more than a day or two
Planting in low spots that collect water after rain, or pots without drainage holes

What to Do

1.Pull and dispose of any plant with mushy roots — there's no saving it once rot is established
2.Improve drainage before replanting: work in a 2–3 inch layer of compost or coarse perlite, or raise the bed 4–6 inches
3.Water deeply but infrequently — let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Aalsmeer King Size Mix take to grow from seed to first flowers?▼

Aalsmeer King Size Mix reaches flowering in 70–80 days from seed, making it one of the fastest pansy varieties. If you start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost, transplant seedlings after the final frost, and plant them in the garden, you'll see first blooms 3–4 weeks later. For even faster results in cool climates, direct-sow seeds in fall for overwinter germination and early spring bloom.

Can you grow Aalsmeer King Size Mix in containers or pots?▼

Yes. Space plants 12–18 inches apart in 6–8 inch pots with well-draining potting mix, or grow 3–4 plants per large container (12+ inches). Containers dry faster than garden soil, so water more frequently and check soil moisture daily. Feed every 2–3 weeks with balanced liquid fertilizer and deadhead weekly for continuous flowering. Container-grown plants produce shorter stems than garden-grown plants but still offer reliable, extended blooms.

Is Aalsmeer King Size Mix good for beginners?▼

Yes, absolutely. Aalsmeer King Size Mix is easy to grow from seed, doesn't require special equipment, and germinates reliably without bottom heat or grow lights. It tolerates both full sun and partial shade, and handles occasional watering lapses better than many annuals. The main requirement is consistent deadheading to maintain productivity. Even new gardeners can succeed with this variety.

Are Aalsmeer King Size Mix flowers really edible, and what do they taste like?▼

Yes, the flowers are edible and safe for decoration and consumption. They have a subtle wintergreen flavor—mildly sweet with a faint spicy undertone—making them excellent for candying, garnishing salads, or decorating desserts. Harvest petals in the morning, rinse gently, and use fresh or candy them by brushing with egg white, dusting with fine sugar, and drying at room temperature. Candied pansies store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

When should you plant Aalsmeer King Size Mix seeds?▼

Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost (typically January–February in most US zones). Keep seedlings at 60–70°F; they'll germinate in 7–14 days on a windowsill without grow lights. Transplant outdoors 2–3 weeks after the final frost. Alternatively, direct-sow seeds into the garden in late fall (September–October) for natural overwinter stratification and earlier spring bloom.

Does Aalsmeer King Size Mix produce longer stems than standard pansy varieties?▼

Yes. In commercial overwintered trials (unheated tunnels in Zone 5), Aalsmeer King Size Mix consistently produces 16–22 inch cutting-length stems, among the longest of any pansy variety. Standard pansy varieties typically max out at 8–12 inches. This vigor is why commercial growers and serious cut-flower enthusiasts choose Aalsmeer King Size Mix—the long stems mix beautifully with tulips, daffodils, and spring arrangements.